Mahabharata · 7.61.3–4
॥
Devanāgarī
पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तं क्रुद्धं मृत्युम् इवान्तकम् ॥
आयान्तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं कथं ददृशुर् आहवे ॥
कपिराजध्वजं संख्ये विधुन्वानं महद् धनुः ॥
दृष्ट्वा पुत्रपरिद्यूनं किम् अकुर्वन्त मामकाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
putraśokābhisaṃtaptaṃ kruddhaṃ mṛtyum ivāntakam ||
āyāntaṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ kathaṃ dadṛśur āhave ||
kapirājadhvajaṃ saṃkhye vidhunvānaṃ mahad dhanuḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā putraparidyūnaṃ kim akurvanta māmakāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तम्putraśokābhisaṃtaptamscorched by grief for his son; burning with grief for his son
क्रुद्धम् मृत्युम् इव अन्तकम्kruddham mṛtyum iva antakamenraged, like Death the Ender; in wrath, like Death Antaka
आयान्तम् पुरुषव्याघ्रम्āyāntam puruṣavyāghramthe approaching tiger among men; the coming tiger among men
कथम् ददृशुः आहवेkatham dadṛśuḥ āhavehow did they behold in battle; how did they see in battle
कपिराजध्वजम् संख्येkapirājadhvajam saṃkhye[him,] with the banner of the monkey king, in the fight; with the banner of the monkey king, in battle
विधुन्वानम् महत् धनुःvidhunvānam mahat dhanuḥbrandishing the great bow; brandishing the great bow
दृष्ट्वा पुत्रपरिद्यूनम्dṛṣṭvā putraparidyūnamhaving seen [him,] tormented [with grief] for his son; having seen him tormented over his son
किम् अकुर्वन्त मामकाःkim akurvanta māmakāḥwhat did mine do; what did mine do
Translation
"Burning with grief for his son, enraged like Death the Ender, the tiger among men approaching — how did they behold him in battle? Seeing him, bearing the banner of the monkey king, brandishing his great bow in the fight, tormented with grief for his son — what did mine do?"
Version
8ac4e88d84ec · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra pictures Arjuna as 'kruddhaṃ mṛtyum iva antakam,' as Death enraged: a father's grief turned to wrath is more terrible than any army. It is telling that his fear is not of the strength of weapons but of the rightness of the grief: on Arjuna's side stands trampled justice. The repeated 'kim akurvanta māmakāḥ,' 'what did mine do?', betrays a foreboding of disaster. The verse teaches that wrath born of violated truth is more fearsome than sheer might: before the avenger of a wrong even one who was once strong trembles, sensing that he faces not a man but retribution itself.